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Steelers sign DeAngelo Williams
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers took care of some other business on Friday by signing free-agent running back DeAngelo Williams.
Williams, 32, visited the Steelers on Friday and became the first outside free agent the Steelers have added in what had been a quiet week before the team announced that it had signed quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a new contract.
Williams, the Carolina Panthers' all-time leading rusher, gives the Steelers a proven back to pair with Le'Veon Bell.
Bell led the AFC with 1,361 rushing yards last season and was a first-team All-Pro selection. But he is expected to miss the first two games of next season, stemming from his arrest last August for marijuana possession and driving under the influence.
The only other running backs on the Steelers' roster are Dri Archer and Josh Harris and each played sparingly as rookies last season.
The Panthers saved $2 million in salary-cap space by designating Williams as a post-June 1 cut.
Williams told Charlotte's WBTV that as a result of the way the organization treated the death of his mother to breast cancer in May that he wasn't upset when told he would be released. He said Greg Hardy was the only member of the organization to attend his mother's funeral.
Williams had been with Carolina since it made him the 27th pick of the 2006 draft. He has 6,846 career rushing yards and 46 rushing touchdowns. Injuries limited him to six games in 2014.
@gimmefreemusic
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers took care of some other business on Friday by signing free-agent running back DeAngelo Williams.
Williams, 32, visited the Steelers on Friday and became the first outside free agent the Steelers have added in what had been a quiet week before the team announced that it had signed quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a new contract.
Williams, the Carolina Panthers' all-time leading rusher, gives the Steelers a proven back to pair with Le'Veon Bell.
Bell led the AFC with 1,361 rushing yards last season and was a first-team All-Pro selection. But he is expected to miss the first two games of next season, stemming from his arrest last August for marijuana possession and driving under the influence.
The only other running backs on the Steelers' roster are Dri Archer and Josh Harris and each played sparingly as rookies last season.
The Panthers saved $2 million in salary-cap space by designating Williams as a post-June 1 cut.
Williams told Charlotte's WBTV that as a result of the way the organization treated the death of his mother to breast cancer in May that he wasn't upset when told he would be released. He said Greg Hardy was the only member of the organization to attend his mother's funeral.
Williams had been with Carolina since it made him the 27th pick of the 2006 draft. He has 6,846 career rushing yards and 46 rushing touchdowns. Injuries limited him to six games in 2014.
@gimmefreemusic
Ben Roethlisberger has new deal
PITTSBURGH -- Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger signed a five-year contract that should allow him to play his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"This is where I want to be," Roethlisberger said Friday afternoon with chairman Dan Rooney, team president Art Rooney II, coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert among those watching his news conference. "It's an incredibly fair deal for both sides, and we're just excited to move forward and get some more Lombardi Trophies in that room next year."
Roethlisberger has led the Steelers to their only two Super Bowl titles since the 1970s, and the 11-year veteran is coming off a Pro Bowl season in which he established career highs in passing yards (4,952), completions (408) and completion percentage (67.1).
He turned 33, but Colbert said in January that the Steelers believe he is getting better and can continue to play at a high level into his late 30s as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have done.
"Ben has a number of great years ahead of him," Art Rooney II said.
Roethlisberger had been going into the final year of the eight-year, $102 million contract he signed in 2008, and the Steelers had remained steadfast that they would get a new deal done with their franchise quarterback.
He had a salary-cap hit of $18.395 million and was due a base salary of $11.6 million this year. Rooney declined to give specifics in regard to Roethlisberger's new deal and whether it lowered his cap hit for 2015.
The Steelers had been among the quietest teams during the first week of free agency, adding their first outside player Friday when they signed former Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams to a two-year contract.
Rooney said re-signing Roethlisberger to a long-term contract had been the Steelers' top priority even after the start of the free-agent signing period Tuesday.
"For us, this was the most important," Rooney said.
Roethlisberger's wife Ashley, son Ben Jr. and daughter Baylee attended the news conference, and Roethlisberger said he wants to play his entire career with the Steelers so he can raise his children in Pittsburgh.
"People ask where I'm from," Roethlisberger said, "I'm from Pittsburgh."
@gimmefreemusic
PITTSBURGH -- Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger signed a five-year contract that should allow him to play his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"This is where I want to be," Roethlisberger said Friday afternoon with chairman Dan Rooney, team president Art Rooney II, coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert among those watching his news conference. "It's an incredibly fair deal for both sides, and we're just excited to move forward and get some more Lombardi Trophies in that room next year."
Roethlisberger has led the Steelers to their only two Super Bowl titles since the 1970s, and the 11-year veteran is coming off a Pro Bowl season in which he established career highs in passing yards (4,952), completions (408) and completion percentage (67.1).
He turned 33, but Colbert said in January that the Steelers believe he is getting better and can continue to play at a high level into his late 30s as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have done.
"Ben has a number of great years ahead of him," Art Rooney II said.
Roethlisberger had been going into the final year of the eight-year, $102 million contract he signed in 2008, and the Steelers had remained steadfast that they would get a new deal done with their franchise quarterback.
He had a salary-cap hit of $18.395 million and was due a base salary of $11.6 million this year. Rooney declined to give specifics in regard to Roethlisberger's new deal and whether it lowered his cap hit for 2015.
The Steelers had been among the quietest teams during the first week of free agency, adding their first outside player Friday when they signed former Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams to a two-year contract.
Rooney said re-signing Roethlisberger to a long-term contract had been the Steelers' top priority even after the start of the free-agent signing period Tuesday.
"For us, this was the most important," Rooney said.
Roethlisberger's wife Ashley, son Ben Jr. and daughter Baylee attended the news conference, and Roethlisberger said he wants to play his entire career with the Steelers so he can raise his children in Pittsburgh.
"People ask where I'm from," Roethlisberger said, "I'm from Pittsburgh."
@gimmefreemusic
Mike Wallace traded to Vikings
It didn’t take long for the Dolphins to go from likely to trade wide receiver Mike Wallace to the Vikings to trading Wallace to the Vikings.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Miami has shipped the wideout to Minnesota along with a seventh-round pick. The Vikings will send a fifth-round pick back to the Dolphins.
The move ends months of speculation about whether Wallace would return to the team for the 2015 season after two years in Miami that saw Wallace’s production fail to live up to the big contract that the Dolphins gave him in 2013. There were also frequent talk about Wallace being unhappy with his role, culminating in an argument with the team’s coaches that landed Wallace on the bench for much of the team’s final game in 2014.
Now he’ll get a chance to play in Norv Turner’s offense, which has been friendly toward deep passing throughout his long career in the NFL. Wallace will line up with Greg Jennings, Charles Johnson and tight end Kyle Rudolph to give Teddy Bridgewater a deeper group of targets than he had as a rookie. Should Adrian Peterson remain with the team, the Vikings Offense will look even better heading into next season.
Wallace has a base salary of $9.85 million in 2015 and is signed for two more years with salaries of $11.45 million each year. The Dolphins could use the savings toward a new deal for tight end Charles Clay or for other moves in what’s already been a very busy offseason in Miami.
It didn’t take long for the Dolphins to go from likely to trade wide receiver Mike Wallace to the Vikings to trading Wallace to the Vikings.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Miami has shipped the wideout to Minnesota along with a seventh-round pick. The Vikings will send a fifth-round pick back to the Dolphins.
The move ends months of speculation about whether Wallace would return to the team for the 2015 season after two years in Miami that saw Wallace’s production fail to live up to the big contract that the Dolphins gave him in 2013. There were also frequent talk about Wallace being unhappy with his role, culminating in an argument with the team’s coaches that landed Wallace on the bench for much of the team’s final game in 2014.
Now he’ll get a chance to play in Norv Turner’s offense, which has been friendly toward deep passing throughout his long career in the NFL. Wallace will line up with Greg Jennings, Charles Johnson and tight end Kyle Rudolph to give Teddy Bridgewater a deeper group of targets than he had as a rookie. Should Adrian Peterson remain with the team, the Vikings Offense will look even better heading into next season.
Wallace has a base salary of $9.85 million in 2015 and is signed for two more years with salaries of $11.45 million each year. The Dolphins could use the savings toward a new deal for tight end Charles Clay or for other moves in what’s already been a very busy offseason in Miami.
Titans sign Perrish Cox
The Titans are continuing to bolster their pass defense in free agency.
The latest addition in Tennessee is Perrish Cox. The former 49ers cornerback has agreed to terms with the Titans today, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. It’s a three-year, $15 million deal, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.
A backup earlier in his career, the 28-year-old Cox is coming off his best season as a pro. He started 14 games for the 49ers in 2014 and had five interceptions. In Tennessee, Cox is expected to start opposite Jason McCourty.
Yesterday the Titans improved their pass rush with the signings of Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo, and now the Titans have added some talent to their secondary as well. Tennessee’s defense was a mess last year, but this year it should be better.
The Titans are continuing to bolster their pass defense in free agency.
The latest addition in Tennessee is Perrish Cox. The former 49ers cornerback has agreed to terms with the Titans today, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. It’s a three-year, $15 million deal, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.
A backup earlier in his career, the 28-year-old Cox is coming off his best season as a pro. He started 14 games for the 49ers in 2014 and had five interceptions. In Tennessee, Cox is expected to start opposite Jason McCourty.
Yesterday the Titans improved their pass rush with the signings of Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo, and now the Titans have added some talent to their secondary as well. Tennessee’s defense was a mess last year, but this year it should be better.
Browns land Tramon Williams
The seventh day of free agency finds the Browns as deal-makers.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Cleveland has reached a three-year agreement with Packers cornerback Tramon Williams.
It’s a $21 million deal for Williams, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports.
The 32-year-old Williams was a defensive regular for Green Bay the last seven seasons, notching 447 tackles and intercepting 28 passes. He is the second cornerback to leave the Packers in free agency, with Davon House (Jacksonville) also departing.
Williams seems likely to start opposite of Joe Haden in Cleveland. His addition could leave 2014 first-round pick Justin Gilbert competing for time in “sub” packages.
Williams’s arrival should help offset the loss of cornerback Buster Skrine, who signed with the Jets.
Williams was PFT’s 47th-ranked free agent.
The seventh day of free agency finds the Browns as deal-makers.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Cleveland has reached a three-year agreement with Packers cornerback Tramon Williams.
It’s a $21 million deal for Williams, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports.
The 32-year-old Williams was a defensive regular for Green Bay the last seven seasons, notching 447 tackles and intercepting 28 passes. He is the second cornerback to leave the Packers in free agency, with Davon House (Jacksonville) also departing.
Williams seems likely to start opposite of Joe Haden in Cleveland. His addition could leave 2014 first-round pick Justin Gilbert competing for time in “sub” packages.
Williams’s arrival should help offset the loss of cornerback Buster Skrine, who signed with the Jets.
Williams was PFT’s 47th-ranked free agent.
Randy Starks reaches two-year deal with Cleveland
The Browns have added another ex-Dolphin.
Cleveland has agreed to a two-year contract with former Dolphins defensive lineman Randy Starks, Jason La Canfora of CBS reported Monday. According to La Canfora, the deal is worth $8 million.
The 31-year-old Starks will likely play defensive end in Cleveland’s 3-4 front. A 10th-year pro from Maryland, Starks (6-3, 305) notched 28 tackles and 4.5 sacks a season ago.
The Dolphins released Starks last week. He is the second Miami player released to land with Cleveland. Last Monday, the Browns reached a two-year deal with former Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline, who could figure as a starter.
The Browns have added another ex-Dolphin.
Cleveland has agreed to a two-year contract with former Dolphins defensive lineman Randy Starks, Jason La Canfora of CBS reported Monday. According to La Canfora, the deal is worth $8 million.
The 31-year-old Starks will likely play defensive end in Cleveland’s 3-4 front. A 10th-year pro from Maryland, Starks (6-3, 305) notched 28 tackles and 4.5 sacks a season ago.
The Dolphins released Starks last week. He is the second Miami player released to land with Cleveland. Last Monday, the Browns reached a two-year deal with former Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline, who could figure as a starter.
Texans sign Cecil Shorts
Wide receiver Cecil Shorts is leaving Jacksonville, but he won’t be leaving the AFC South.
According to multiple reports, Shorts has signed with the Texans following a visit with the team. There was talk of other interest in Shorts’ services, but the Texans were the first team to bring him in for a meeting and there won’t be a need for a second one.
Shorts dealt with hamstring issues most of last season and missed three games on his way to 53 catches for 557 yards and one touchdown. He was more productive during the 2012 and 2013 seasons and filled a variety of roles in the passing game for Jacksonville during his four years with the team.
That versatility should serve him well as an option for Houston to use behind DeAndre Hopkins next season. There’s still a need for more help at the position, but the Texans can look at all options since Shorts could play in the slot or outside for Houston.
Wide receiver Cecil Shorts is leaving Jacksonville, but he won’t be leaving the AFC South.
According to multiple reports, Shorts has signed with the Texans following a visit with the team. There was talk of other interest in Shorts’ services, but the Texans were the first team to bring him in for a meeting and there won’t be a need for a second one.
Shorts dealt with hamstring issues most of last season and missed three games on his way to 53 catches for 557 yards and one touchdown. He was more productive during the 2012 and 2013 seasons and filled a variety of roles in the passing game for Jacksonville during his four years with the team.
That versatility should serve him well as an option for Houston to use behind DeAndre Hopkins next season. There’s still a need for more help at the position, but the Texans can look at all options since Shorts could play in the slot or outside for Houston.
Vince Wilfork says he’s joining Texans
When Vince Wilfork became a free agent last week, it wasn’t long before speculation about his next home being in Houston started.
That speculation can come to an end because we now know that Wilfork will be joining the Texans. Wilfork broke the news on his Twitter account on Monday afternoon.
“This has been an interesting process for me and my family, one we have taken very seriously and given a lot of thought. We want to thank the Kraft family and entire Patriot organization for the last 11 years, however we will be starting a new chapter in our lives as Houston Texans. The coaching staff in Houston has made this exciting new transition feel like home to us. We will forever be Patriots in our hearts, thank you everyone for everything.”
The same reasons why speculation landed on Houston probably help it feel like home for Wilfork. There are plenty of former members of the Patriots organization on the staff in Houston, including coach Bill O’Brien and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, and his role as the plug in the middle of the defensive line should be the same as it has been in New England throughout his career.
When Vince Wilfork became a free agent last week, it wasn’t long before speculation about his next home being in Houston started.
That speculation can come to an end because we now know that Wilfork will be joining the Texans. Wilfork broke the news on his Twitter account on Monday afternoon.
“This has been an interesting process for me and my family, one we have taken very seriously and given a lot of thought. We want to thank the Kraft family and entire Patriot organization for the last 11 years, however we will be starting a new chapter in our lives as Houston Texans. The coaching staff in Houston has made this exciting new transition feel like home to us. We will forever be Patriots in our hearts, thank you everyone for everything.”
The same reasons why speculation landed on Houston probably help it feel like home for Wilfork. There are plenty of former members of the Patriots organization on the staff in Houston, including coach Bill O’Brien and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, and his role as the plug in the middle of the defensive line should be the same as it has been in New England throughout his career.
Stevie Johnson signs with Chargers
Free-agent wide receiver Stevie Johnson agreed to a three-year contract with the San Diego Chargers on Tuesday.
Johnson had visited the Chargers and Patriots since his release from the 49ers last week. In San Diego, he will help to replace receiver Eddie Royal, who left the Chargers this offseason to sign a free-agent contract with the Bears.
The 49ers released Johnson, 28, after just one season with the team.
Johnson, who had a contract cash value of $6.025 million for the 2015 season, according to ESPN Stats & Information, caught 35 passes for 435 yards and three touchdowns on 50 targets in 13 games for the 49ers, the seven-year veteran's lowest output since his second season.
The arrival of free-agent wideout Torrey Smith made Johnson, acquired last year for a fourth-round draft pick from the Bills, expendable in San Francisco.
He had three straight seasons of at least 1,000 yards receiving in Buffalo from 2010 to 2012.
@Rasan
Free-agent wide receiver Stevie Johnson agreed to a three-year contract with the San Diego Chargers on Tuesday.
Johnson had visited the Chargers and Patriots since his release from the 49ers last week. In San Diego, he will help to replace receiver Eddie Royal, who left the Chargers this offseason to sign a free-agent contract with the Bears.
The 49ers released Johnson, 28, after just one season with the team.
Johnson, who had a contract cash value of $6.025 million for the 2015 season, according to ESPN Stats & Information, caught 35 passes for 435 yards and three touchdowns on 50 targets in 13 games for the 49ers, the seven-year veteran's lowest output since his second season.
The arrival of free-agent wideout Torrey Smith made Johnson, acquired last year for a fourth-round draft pick from the Bills, expendable in San Francisco.
He had three straight seasons of at least 1,000 yards receiving in Buffalo from 2010 to 2012.
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holy schnikes.
Rivers contemplates future with Chargers | UTSanDiego.com
Philip Rivers isn’t contemplating retirement anymore.
But he also isn’t thinking about a contract extension with the Chargers. Not the San Diego Chargers, and almost certainly not the Los Angeles Chargers.
Asked on Tuesday if he thinks he will play his current contract out rather than agreeing to extend the deal that ends after the upcoming season, Rivers said, “Yes.”
Asked if he envisioned any circumstance causing him to reconsider, he said, “Honestly, nothing.”
He remains interested in seeing how the roster is built and has an eye on the stadium issue.
“What I can control and all I know as of today, I am signed up for one more year,” he said. “I guess things could change, but with all the uncertainty in many aspects, I don’t see it changing before camp gets here, and when camp gets here I’m even more certain to play it out.”
Rivers doesn’t rule out playing in Los Angeles should the Chargers move there, but there are more appealing cities to a family that has never strayed from its Southern roots.
“What we’ve established here with my growing family is hard to recreate,” he said. “It’s hard to up and recreate that. I know that moves are part of life. But that certainly is fair to say that (not being sold on moving to Los Angeles) is part of it. The good thing is I’m not under contract in a year where we’d potentially be in Los Angeles.”
Rivers is as frank and unencumbered by agenda as perhaps any star athlete in modern times. He isn’t playing games. This is in no way for leverage. He is just being honest.
Still, he repeatedly turned Tuesday's conversation toward the now.
Almost three months into the offseason, improved health has improved his frame of mind.
“The last time we talked was so close to the end of last season, and I was pretty banged up,” Rivers said. “It was more of the notion of I don’t know how much longer I want to do this. That was one of the scenarios. That has left, and I’m excited. I feel like I have a lot of good years left.”
Rivers, who turned 33 in December, played through rib and back injuries in 2014 that he greatly downplayed during the season. Even now, he says the rib injuries were nothing more than he dealt with in previous seasons.
“Late in the year the back thing flared up,” he acknowledged. “It was a little rough, to say the least, for a couple games. But anything I had going on health-wise ... did not hinder performance in any way. It really didn’t.”
Rivers finished the season with 4,286 yards, extending his team record to six 4,000-yard seasons. It was also his fourth season with at least 30 touchdown passes (31) and his second straight season with a completion percentage above 66 percent.
In nine seasons as the Chargers quarterback, he has led them to the playoffs five times. His career total of 36,665 yards is 20th-most in NFL history. His streak of 144 consecutive starts is currently the league's second-longest run, and that does not count the 2007 AFC Championship game he played after tearing his ACL the previous Sunday.
Rivers has of late spent time nearly every day at Chargers Park, though not quite working out to the level he would normally at this time of year.
“I’m getting there,” he said. “I couldn’t say I’m 100 percent.”
Without hesitation, he declared he will be full-go by the time the Chargers begin offseason workouts.
This is the first offseason in which his long-term status is unresolved. His current deal was initiated in 2009, prior to the final year of his rookie contract.
General Manager Tom Telesco said on Dec. 31 that, “We are committed to making sure Philip retires as a Charger, and we will address that at the appropriate time.”
However, there have been no talks between the team and Rivers. The team could conceivably place a franchise tag on Rivers next offseason.
Meanwhile, there are questions and brewing speculation that the team might be preparing for a future without Rivers. Numerous people in and around the league have speculated that the team could be serious about acquiring Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, whom they are scheduled to work out next month. While there are plausible explanations for investigating a first-round QB to that extent without intending to acquire him, Mariota is expected to be gone well before the Chargers pick at No. 17.
Telesco was asked Tuesday, via text, to quash any possibility Rivers would be traded. Even when pressed, he declined.
“I don’t like Philip as our QB, I love him,” Telesco wrote. “And I’ll go to war with him.”
Rivers is aware of all that looms.
“Rumors,” he said. “You can find rumors on anything on the Internet. I think I could even find rumors on the Internet that I get too worked up in games.”
So, he’s obviously maintaining some levity. And, while acknowledging he and his wife have spent time talking and praying about their future beyond 2015, he is working to keep his situation in perspective and remain in the present.
“I’m trying to not get too caught up in what I can’t control,” he said. “What I can control is, what I’m doing in March is what I’ve done every March – working out, looking for little tweaks, getting ready to fight like crazy to help us win.”
That’s the Philip we can count on. For now, at least.
Rivers contemplates future with Chargers | UTSanDiego.com
Philip Rivers isn’t contemplating retirement anymore.
But he also isn’t thinking about a contract extension with the Chargers. Not the San Diego Chargers, and almost certainly not the Los Angeles Chargers.
Asked on Tuesday if he thinks he will play his current contract out rather than agreeing to extend the deal that ends after the upcoming season, Rivers said, “Yes.”
Asked if he envisioned any circumstance causing him to reconsider, he said, “Honestly, nothing.”
He remains interested in seeing how the roster is built and has an eye on the stadium issue.
“What I can control and all I know as of today, I am signed up for one more year,” he said. “I guess things could change, but with all the uncertainty in many aspects, I don’t see it changing before camp gets here, and when camp gets here I’m even more certain to play it out.”
Rivers doesn’t rule out playing in Los Angeles should the Chargers move there, but there are more appealing cities to a family that has never strayed from its Southern roots.
“What we’ve established here with my growing family is hard to recreate,” he said. “It’s hard to up and recreate that. I know that moves are part of life. But that certainly is fair to say that (not being sold on moving to Los Angeles) is part of it. The good thing is I’m not under contract in a year where we’d potentially be in Los Angeles.”
Rivers is as frank and unencumbered by agenda as perhaps any star athlete in modern times. He isn’t playing games. This is in no way for leverage. He is just being honest.
Still, he repeatedly turned Tuesday's conversation toward the now.
Almost three months into the offseason, improved health has improved his frame of mind.
“The last time we talked was so close to the end of last season, and I was pretty banged up,” Rivers said. “It was more of the notion of I don’t know how much longer I want to do this. That was one of the scenarios. That has left, and I’m excited. I feel like I have a lot of good years left.”
Rivers, who turned 33 in December, played through rib and back injuries in 2014 that he greatly downplayed during the season. Even now, he says the rib injuries were nothing more than he dealt with in previous seasons.
“Late in the year the back thing flared up,” he acknowledged. “It was a little rough, to say the least, for a couple games. But anything I had going on health-wise ... did not hinder performance in any way. It really didn’t.”
Rivers finished the season with 4,286 yards, extending his team record to six 4,000-yard seasons. It was also his fourth season with at least 30 touchdown passes (31) and his second straight season with a completion percentage above 66 percent.
In nine seasons as the Chargers quarterback, he has led them to the playoffs five times. His career total of 36,665 yards is 20th-most in NFL history. His streak of 144 consecutive starts is currently the league's second-longest run, and that does not count the 2007 AFC Championship game he played after tearing his ACL the previous Sunday.
Rivers has of late spent time nearly every day at Chargers Park, though not quite working out to the level he would normally at this time of year.
“I’m getting there,” he said. “I couldn’t say I’m 100 percent.”
Without hesitation, he declared he will be full-go by the time the Chargers begin offseason workouts.
This is the first offseason in which his long-term status is unresolved. His current deal was initiated in 2009, prior to the final year of his rookie contract.
General Manager Tom Telesco said on Dec. 31 that, “We are committed to making sure Philip retires as a Charger, and we will address that at the appropriate time.”
However, there have been no talks between the team and Rivers. The team could conceivably place a franchise tag on Rivers next offseason.
Meanwhile, there are questions and brewing speculation that the team might be preparing for a future without Rivers. Numerous people in and around the league have speculated that the team could be serious about acquiring Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, whom they are scheduled to work out next month. While there are plausible explanations for investigating a first-round QB to that extent without intending to acquire him, Mariota is expected to be gone well before the Chargers pick at No. 17.
Telesco was asked Tuesday, via text, to quash any possibility Rivers would be traded. Even when pressed, he declined.
“I don’t like Philip as our QB, I love him,” Telesco wrote. “And I’ll go to war with him.”
Rivers is aware of all that looms.
“Rumors,” he said. “You can find rumors on anything on the Internet. I think I could even find rumors on the Internet that I get too worked up in games.”
So, he’s obviously maintaining some levity. And, while acknowledging he and his wife have spent time talking and praying about their future beyond 2015, he is working to keep his situation in perspective and remain in the present.
“I’m trying to not get too caught up in what I can’t control,” he said. “What I can control is, what I’m doing in March is what I’ve done every March – working out, looking for little tweaks, getting ready to fight like crazy to help us win.”
That’s the Philip we can count on. For now, at least.